We're a few weeks into 2015 now and, well, this is usually when all those good intentioned resolution-based behaviours start to slip a bit. Whether you’ve set an intention to hydrate like an all-star, nourish your body with whole food and movement or make more time for rest and relaxation, all of these resolutions are great ideas. The problem with adhering to them for the long haul often lies with tying these healthy behaviours to a specific date on the calendar—one that has a certain deal of pressure attached to it. This isn’t to say that the BBS team isn’t all for overhauling one’s health and wellness routine for the better. Each member of the team has a few goals they are setting for this year, but we like to think there’s a difference between a goal and a resolution. And since the whole BBS community is killer at crushing goals, 2015 is sure to be an incredible year of accomplishments. We caught up with all your favourite barretenders to get the scoop on what ambitions they are chasing this year and their best advice for sticking with it when the going gets rough. Happy New Year, team!

Nicole: My goal for 2015 is simply to be fit and healthy. For me, this breaks down to six activities a week, lots of sleep and healthy eating. My advice is also pretty simple: be reasonable with your goals so that they are attainable. Make a plan and stick to it.

Vanessa: My 2015 goal find more balance. Find more time for the important things in life and learn that it's ok to say no to people. I’m focusing on quality instead of quantity. I always recommend taking baby steps towards reaching your goals. Things don't change overnight. It's not a quick sprint to the goal, but a journey in which we learn and grow to achieve it. Don't get discouraged if you loose track, as every passing moment is another chance to turn it all around—there is always tomorrow.

Toni: Goal: My goal for 2015 is to explore and experience. I want to take the time to get to know our city better and take in all that Calgary has to offer. My tips are very straightforward: Plan ahead and write it down.

Kenna: This year I’m focusing on my career goals. It's important to make a plan and timeline while incorporating elements of your goal into your daily life. This way you keep inching towards your goals every single day.

Johanna: In 2015 I’m making more time for meditation. When the going gets tough, remind yourself that it is suppose to be tough, that is what makes it so great and allows us to grow into the best version of ourselves.

Megan: My goals this year are to be more organized and floss more! Talking about your goals can really help. Friends and family are there to encourage you when times get tough or you start to fall behind.

Jaclyn: My goal this year is to try more outdoor activities and explore new things that are outside of my comfort zone. A good way to stick with a resolution is to set goals month by month so you will be able to achieve your success in little steps, rather than making a sweeping proclamation for the whole year.

Chaela: My resolution for 2015 is to cook at home more. I think the best way to stick to a goal or resolution is to write it down and post it somewhere you can see it every day.

Crystal: My New Year's resolution is to make healthier choices throughout the coming year. That includes anything from diet and exercise, to my psychological well-being. I want to surround myself with people, and choices that promote a healthier overall me.

My best advice for sticking to a resolution is to make yours a reasonable and attainable goal. For instance, resolving to go to the gym four days a week for the entire year is setting yourself up for failure. The vast majority of people will be unable to fulfill a resolution like that, as our motivation wavers and sometimes life just gets in the way. So instead, choosing to spend one day a week engaging in physical activity, whether that be a Barre class, swimming, biking, or simply taking a walk during your lunch break, is a simple and very realistic goal. And by maintaining your resolution fairly easily, you will be more inclined to challenge yourself to up your game, by adding an additional day of physical activity per week for example, and won't beat yourself up when you simply don't have the time or the inclination for that second or third day.

Tina: In 2015 I’m focusing on taking better care of my body and spending more time with my family. It is easy with school and work to miss out on important stuff like self care and spending time with people I care about, so my resolution for this year is to make sure to set time aside for myself. I will be checking in with myself and reminding of my main goal when things get tough. It becomes easy to lose sight of your goal when things start to get busy, but setting reminders and small rewards can make you more motivated!

Emma: My goals this year is to be healthier and spend less by making all my lunches for the week in advance. This way I don't have to rely on restaurants or fast food. In order to achieve this, I will grocery shop in advance and plan my meals out so I always have the ingredients that I need.

The Pretzel is one of BBS’s favorite positions! It is the ultimate move to lift your seat and carve out a lean waistline (bye bye muffin tops). Use these tips to get the most out of your pretzel!

Start seated with one leg at a 90 degree angle in front of you and your other leg behind you. Your back knee should be behind the hip forming a “Z” like position with your legs. Place your hands on the floor in front of you; one hand should lay flat in front of the ankle while the opposite hand frames the outside of the knee. Shift your weight to the center, and keep your shoulders and hips square. You want your chest to stay in the same line as your front thigh. Once you feel stable, lift your back leg up a few inches off the floor as while keeping your core and glutes engaged. You are working to sit as tall as possible with your shoulders relaxed and the chest lifted. It is essential that your working leg stay behind your hip (at 3/9 o’clock). As you get started, you may need to lean slightly forward and away from your lower body in order to be able to lift your working leg. If necessary, you can always modify by lowering down onto the same forearm as your front leg.

The reason for this position's success is its ability to incorporate surrounding muscle groups. As soon as you lift your back leg in pretzel position, you are using every muscle, from the obliques to your glutes and hamstrings, making those muscles wrap around your entire back and seat to assist in supporting each other.

We're a few days into 2015 now and, well, this is usually when all those good intentioned resolution-based behaviours start to slip a bit. Whether you’ve set an intention to hydrate like an all-star, nourish your body with whole food and movement or make more time for rest and relaxation, all of these resolutions are great ideas. The problem with adhering to them for the long haul often lies with tying these healthy behaviours to a specific date on the calendar—one that has a certain deal of pressure attached to it. This isn’t to say that the BBS team isn’t all for overhauling one’s health and wellness routine for the better. Each member of the team has a few goals they are setting for this year, but we like to think there’s a difference between a goal and a resolution. And since the whole BBS community is killer at crushing goals, 2015 is sure to be an incredible year of accomplishments. We caught up with all your favourite barretenders (find half below and the other half to follow next week) to get the scoop on what ambitions they are chasing this year and their best advice for sticking with it when the going gets rough. Happy New Year, team!

Pauline: My goal for 2015 is to continue to find balance while living and pursuing (and loving!) the many changes in my life! For me, the key to sticking with a goal/resolution is to write it down along with a tiny bit about why it is important to you. This way when the going gets tough, you can go back to what you wrote to yourself when you were in a calmer frame of mind, thinking more about the big picture and likely being more objective about your goals!

Stacie: To take 20 minutes for myself every day to stretch and breathe deeply. Life gets busy so I'm going to make sure to put it in my calendar and keep the date with myself. If I miss a day, no big deal, just forgive myself and hop right back into it.

Marlo: Drink more water! Water, water, water - especially as a new mom. I plan to stick with this by using the water app on my phone, which acts as a good reminder to make sure I am getting my daily dose. That said, don't get attached to "resolutions"; setting intentions is healthy and making change is a journey.

Lindsay: My goal is to increase my intake of lean protein and vegetables and to cut my sodium consumption to 1, 200mg per day. My stick to it I have started to make an extra salad at dinner for the next day and have found new sources of lean protein to incorporate into daytime snacks.

Adriana: My 2015 goal is to go to the mountains at least once a month. Shawn and I have made a standing date to go eat, hike, or camp in the mountains one Sunday ever month. A scheduled event and a partner to do it with will help me to stick to the program.

Nori: My goal this year is to tone, tone, tone! When the going gets tough I like to post pictures around the house related to my goal. Healthy women who have obviously worked hard to get their physiques only. Not pretty posed pictures, but rather the kind of pictures from Shape Magazine that are of women post-workout and covered in sweat. They remind me that my goal is hard work and not some photoshopped fantasy.

Amber: My goals for 2015 are to eat healthier (by snacking less), get better at skiing, use my bike more in the summer and when things get stressful, take time for a break! My tip when the going gets tough is to let yourself have a bad day or a couple bad days at a time. Get back on track when you know you're ready and will feel successful.

When our most recent Barre Star Hall of Fame inductee, Van Nguyen, first started at BBS her main focus was to get back into a healthier lifestyle. She was trying to stay in shape and hoping to find a workout regime that she would truly enjoy—and maybe even get a little addicted to. Her mission was accomplished and now Van averages at least five classes at the studio each week. Her commitment has resulted not only in an incredible physical transformation, but also in the form of the pride and confidence Van now has in her body. “I've noticed my body has transformed in many areas that I've intentionally worked hard for,” she says. “My arms are much more toned with such great muscles definition. My glutes, my legs, my back, my overall physical appearances is so toned and well defined—just the way that I've wanted.”

Most importantly, though, is the fact Van’s BBS classes offer her a much needed stress relief and keep her feeling relaxed and happy. We couldn’t be prouder of all of Van’s accomplishments and we can’t thank her enough for the kind words she sent us about her BBS experiences. Check out her story in her own words below. Congratulations Van, keep up the great work! xxo.

Hi Marlo,

First of all, I'd like to say thank you to all the instructors at Barre Body Studio for whipping me into such an amazing transformation, not only physically, but mentally as well. To be honest, I've always loved working out. I've tried boot camp classes, hot yoga, going to the gym, but those routines only lasted so long. If you'd asked me which particular workout regime is my favourite, I honestly have to say BBS, and I really can’t stress this enough. Attending your classes for almost five months has not only helped me reached my goal to have a lean and toned body. Beyond that I also love the satisfying, confident feeling and also to have such a great connection with all the instructors that I’m not afraid to ask questions. I love the fact that if my movements are incorrect, they will correct me immediately and are willing to spend that extra amount of time to educate me about how to perform the movement correctly. If you’re wondering how I have the energy to attend the classes everyday, the answer is as simple as I love the workout. Especially the fact that it’s designed specifically to tone every part of my body that needed to be toned. I love the fact that when I slip on a pair of skinny jeans now, my bum looks so good that I can walk out the door and feel like a million dollar model. Or when I'm at the beach, I would put on my two-piece bikinis and look good in them—I mean really good in them!

Our everyday life can get stressful and hectic with work and families, but if you are motivated and have your goals set, you can achieve them in no time, just by starting to watch what you eat, being committed. It doesn't matter how busy your life is, allow yourself 1 hr and 15 minutes to get to BBS, not only for a great workout, but to mend you mentally and relieve yourselves from all the stress that life throws. I went through a lot of family dramas, but by attending Barre, most of my personal problems are not a big deal nowadays. When you are happy and confident with yourself, that positive energy will slowly diminish any problems you encounter overtime.